134 BIRDS OF THE WATER 



place on a nest containing four fresh eggs. 

 The young are fed on all sorts of small 

 insects, caterpillars, moths, etc., and ap- 

 parently have, like the young of the Waxeye 

 and Warbler, the power of ejection of their 

 indigestible parts. These little dry pellets 

 I have noticed about the edges of the nest, 

 or resting on the growths below. The 

 droppings are, of course, at first removed 

 by the parents, and later ejected by the 

 half-grown birds themselves. 



Immediately after vacation of the nest, 

 to which, I believe, they never return, the 

 young birds continue for a short time in 

 the company of their parents, who train 

 them to hunt while still continuing to 

 supply food. They roost together at night, 

 and the young may be seen at earliest 

 dawn, sitting in a row on some convenient 

 bough, cuddled together like little Love 

 Birds. 



